Rivian is moving swiftly toward the 2026 launch of its R2 electric vehicle, with construction progressing ahead of schedule on a major 1.1 million-square-foot expansion of its Normal, IL, manufacturing campus.
The new facility -- designed to house the body shop, general assembly and end-of-line operations for the R2 -- marks a significant addition to Rivian’s existing 4.3 million-square-foot plant where it already produces R1 models and commercial vans. Once completed, the full site will have a planned annual capacity of 215,000 units.
“All of the new buildings are now ‘going vertical’ -- that is, walls, structural steel bays, roof decking and roofing material are well underway,” said Tony Sanger, Rivian’s vice president of production facilities, in a news release. “For example, today the new Body, General Assembly and End of Line building is complete for walls, 70% complete on structural steel and 60% complete for roof decking. We are running slightly ahead on this building.”
Despite challenging winter weather, construction has remained on schedule, with the roof nearing completion and some interior work already underway. A new high-speed test track, replacing the previously decommissioned one, is also expected to be online this spring.
To accelerate the timeline, Rivian has employed extensive prefabrication. “We have made every effort to prefabricate as much as possible to reduce the number of field connections that are required to bring the buildings and their systems up and operational,” Sanger explained.
Efficiency is a key focus of the expansion. The new layout separates parts painting into a dedicated Parts Pre-Treat and E-Coat Dip (PTED) facility, freeing up the main paint shop for top-hat painting. Additionally, the integration of conveyance systems and Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) between major production areas is expected to streamline operations.
“The faster we can get the buildings up and the utilities in place, the sooner our manufacturing engineering colleagues can begin to set and connect equipment with their integrators,” Sanger said. “All of this will bring the R2 into our customers' hands more quickly.”
Originally, Rivian planned to produce the R2 line at a new plant it is building in Georgia. However, a year ago, the company announced it would instead begin production in Illinois, as it would allow an earlier launch at a considerable savings. Rivian expects to save $2.25 billion on capital expenditures, product development investment and supplier sourcing opportunities by producing the R2 in Illinois to start.
